Being Your Best Possible Self in 2022

For many of us, self-improvement is a seemingly endless journey. Whether it’s a career, personal relationship, or any other area of our lives, we’re constantly striving to make things better – and there’s no better time to make significant strides than the start of a brand-new year. While it’s never too late to start being your best possible self, making a commitment to self-improvement at the beginning of the year can set the stage for long-term success.

1 Achieve a Healthy Work/Life Balance

For many workforce members, the idea of maintaining any semblance of a work/life balance seems like a far-flung fantasy. Since many employers expect employees to be perpetually clocked in, leaving the office doesn’t necessarily signal the end of the workday. Unsurprisingly, in the absence of personal time, many of us enter states of physical and mental exhaustion. In addition to being bad for our mental health, this isn’t exactly conducive to good performance, either. So, for the sake of maintaining your sanity and satisfactory job performance, make 2022 the year in which you finally achieve the right work/life balance.

In fairness, this may prove difficult for people whose employers are accustomed to taking advantage of them. However, if you don’t feel your employer respects your time, you should politely make this fact known. First, let them know that your hours belong to you outside of emergencies and that your life shouldn’t be regarded as one endless workday. No employer is owed unpaid overtime, and if you’re only paid for a certain number of hours each week, that is the extent of what your employer is entitled to.

2 Get Your Sleep Schedule in Order

Proper sleep will serve you well in several areas. From job performance to personal relationships to family obligations, every facet of your life stands to benefit from healthy sleep habits. Unfortunately, many of us keep sleep schedules that leave quite a bit to be desired. Instead of going to bed at a set time, we generally have broad windows in which we hit the hay. Furthermore, some of us have no consistency about when we call it a day.

If poor sleep habits have negatively impacted your life in any way, this should be the year in which you get your sleep schedule in order. You can start by giving yourself a bedtime. This will help add a sense of structure to your day, and after several weeks of adhering to your new bedtime, you’re likely to start getting tired around this time every evening. Secondly, to help get your brain in the mood for sleep, shut off all screens 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime, as phones, computers, and other devices are liable to excite your senses and keep you awake into the wee hours.

To help get yourself used to this new routine, make a point of adhering to your new sleep schedule on weekends. However, once you’re entirely accustomed to said schedule, changing things up a bit during periods of downtime shouldn’t be a problem.

3 Contribute to Public Health

In addition to helping you feel good about yourself, contributing to public health stands to benefit society as a whole. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of ways you can help improve public health in your community. For one thing, with the COVID-19 pandemic now entering its third year, it is incumbent upon responsible citizens to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus and encourage others to do the same. Furthermore, take care to stay current with your boosters and keep up with vaccine-related news from both the CDC and the WHO.

You can also contribute to public health through numerous charitable causes. For example, giving your time and money to food drives, soup kitchens, and blood donation organizations can help you maintain a healthy self-image while actively improving your community.

Although we all want to be our best possible selves, bringing this goal to fruition can often be an uphill battle. Some of us have more obstacles to overcome on this journey than others, and some of us don’t know where to start. Anyone looking for the perfect time to lay the groundwork for personal growth needn’t look any further than the start of a brand-new year. The new year represents new beginnings on several fronts – and your self-improvement efforts are no exception.